Hi All New purchaser of BIAB 2021 and loving it! I am working on my 2nd original song, just kind of winging it, and I know I am barely scratching the surface. Admittedly, the first song was pretty straight forward, and things just fell together pretty easily, although still trying to figure out a few things to improve what I have. My next tune has a few more complex things going on though(at least for my knowledge) Working on them all, but one thing I'm trying to do has me stymied. The song in in 4/4. I have used part markers at the beginning of my chorus so I get a nice drum fill going into the chorus, but at the end of the chorus, I want to have one chord hold for 1 1/2 measures (6 beats) and then a drum fill for the last 2 beats of the 2nd measure. I've experimented with various options in Bar Settings and Chord Settings, but can't seem to get it. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks all!
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
Yes, this is what really starts to make a song sound realistic.
Let's say the 6-beat held chord is a G7 chord and it starts on measure 30.
Put this: G7... in the beginning of measure 30. Yes, that's three dots after the chord name.
Go to the second cell of measure 31 and put C.d
In measure 32, you will probably want to put a new chord so chords start playing again.
Explanation:
If you look in Help, Index, Rests, you will see how to use one, two or three dots after a chord name to make a rest, shot, or hold respectively.
C.d means, play a C chord but rest all instruments EXCEPT the drums.
This will give you just a drum playing. I used the chord C because if you are resting all the other instruments, it doesn't matter what chord you put here.
Next you can also experiment with substyle part markers (the blue or green colors you get by clicking over the measure numbers) at the beginning of measure 32 because they will generate a drum fill pattern and you can try to get the one you want.
Play around with these and you should get to the next step. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Yes, this is what really starts to make a song sound realistic.
Let's say the 6-beat held chord is a G7 chord and it starts on measure 30.
Put this: G7... in the beginning of measure 30. Yes, that's three dots after the chord name.
Go to the second cell of measure 31 and put C.d
In measure 32, you will probably want to put a new chord so chords start playing again.
Explanation:
If you look in Help, Index, Rests, you will see how to use one, two or three dots after a chord name to make a rest, shot, or hold respectively.
C.d means, play a C chord but rest all instruments EXCEPT the drums.
This will give you just a drum playing. I used the chord C because if you are resting all the other instruments, it doesn't matter what chord you put here.
Next you can also experiment with substyle part markers (the blue or green colors you get by clicking over the measure numbers) at the beginning of measure 32 because they will generate a drum fill pattern and you can try to get the one you want.
Play around with these and you should get to the next step. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
Thanks so much Matt! That was extremely helpful. I'm still trying to figure out how to get passing notes/chords, and how to change chords for each beat in a 4 beat measure, instead of every 2 beats. Would that mean finding a style with a different time signature? LOL Sorry...hitting you with more questions!
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
Wow! Now that indeed is easy. I will try that. OK, here's another one. For the first two tunes I'm working on, I have picked a Style, and that's worked out pretty well. But, is there some way to change one of the instruments selected in that Style? If not, how does one pick individual instruments? I promise that's all for today!
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
You should be able to change instruments for a particular style. Click on the track in the mixer, and select the instrument you want. For RealTracks, you need to have the required ones installed beforehand of course.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
Hi, and thanks for the response. (sorry it took me so long to try that). Anyway, when I try that it brings up a window with description but no actual tracks to choose from. Is that because I have a style selected?
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
Hi again Matt! Once again, thanks for your help. That worked for me at the end of each verse and chorus. But...I have a problem with the ending of the song. I want to end with a C chord held for one bar, followed by the next bar having the same thing (held C), and ending with a held G chord. So, I am putting C...in Bar 102, C... in Bar 103 and then G...in Bar 104. But, it doesn't want to play the chord at all in Bar 103. I'm thinking, the held chord from Bar 102 is still ringing possibly, preventing the new held C to strike in Bar 103? For reference the instrument is a piano, and I am bringing the tracks into Reaper and eventually into my Roland VS-2480 24track. Thanks for your time, and let me know what you think.
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Yes, this is what really starts to make a song sound realistic.
Let's say the 6-beat held chord is a G7 chord and it starts on measure 30.
Put this: G7... in the beginning of measure 30. Yes, that's three dots after the chord name.
Go to the second cell of measure 31 and put C.d
In measure 32, you will probably want to put a new chord so chords start playing again.
Explanation:
If you look in Help, Index, Rests, you will see how to use one, two or three dots after a chord name to make a rest, shot, or hold respectively.
C.d means, play a C chord but rest all instruments EXCEPT the drums.
This will give you just a drum playing. I used the chord C because if you are resting all the other instruments, it doesn't matter what chord you put here.
Next you can also experiment with substyle part markers (the blue or green colors you get by clicking over the measure numbers) at the beginning of measure 32 because they will generate a drum fill pattern and you can try to get the one you want.
Play around with these and you should get to the next step. Let me know if anything isn't clear.
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
Hey Matt, 1) 6 103 1 2)Not sure what a Tag is, but I am using two repeats. I liked the piano part the Style was using, but it would change sometimes at a particular chord that I didn't like, and I couldn't figure out how to stop it. BIAB Help guy suggested doing a Repeat so I have the first verse repeat once, then to to the chorus, than the third verse repeats once, than the chorus again. Than a new verse plays and then the chorus. There are two choruses at the end, but I just did a copy and paste for that. Thanks Matt and let me know what you think. I probably screwed something up unknowingly.
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
There are two things I need to know:
1) what are the three numbers above the tempo (bar for beginning of chorus, bar for end of chorus, and number of choruses)?
2) are you using a Tag, and if so, what are those settings?
It sounds like your song is set to end a bar too early.
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
i rarely get every bar of every part 'right' in BIAB. In fact i've stopped trying. once i've got the form right i open the file in RealBand where i can regenerate whole versions of tracks and cut and paste the bits i like or just regenerate individual parts or bars.
Thanks for the idea Bob. Have not explored RealBand as of yet, so that is definitely on my very long list! That Cutting and Pasting sounds like a good workaround for those disliked sections. I kind of have a convoluted way of recording, so I should mention I love my old Roland VS-2480 24 track. For live recording it has very nice preamps and I have some excellent Effects cards. I also am an old school guy and love riding the faders, plus it has a great Automix function for recording fader movements. Anyway, I have the Midi Out from my Roland going in to my computer. I bring my tune into Reaper with the BIAB plugin. Then, with Reaper recognizing the Roland Midi signal, when I hit Play on my Roland it kicks off Reaper perfectly. I'm hoping I can get RealBand to do the same so I can avoid the Reaper step.
Originally Posted By: Bob Calver
i rarely get every bar of every part 'right' in BIAB. In fact i've stopped trying. once i've got the form right i open the file in RealBand where i can regenerate whole versions of tracks and cut and paste the bits i like or just regenerate individual parts or bars.
something to try when you've got BIAB sorted
2023 BIAB Ultrapak, Reaper, EZDrummer 2 & 3, Roland VS-2480, Tascam 38 Reel to Reel 8-Track
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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